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Summary List of stories Phase II Night: Ashes, Metal, And Corruption << chapter 45 Chapter 46 of 75 Insecurities And Aspirations chapter 47 >> << previous scene Scene 1 of 2 next scene >> Location Participants Time Summary Prologue | Phase I | Phase II | Epilogue 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 Text Pinkamena was surprised when Luna and company arrived at Sugar Cube Corners, but she quickly became eager when she found out what the winged unicorn was carrying. She let them in, and they found Sleipnir gobbling down baked goods and making a nuisance of himself as Pinkie Pie worked with Rarity and Spike on the licensing papers and forms to get their business back up and running. Atrus appearing out of thin air startled the dragon and unicorn a little, but Pinkie Pie barely looked up, still engrossed with the facts and figures as numbers and forms. But no one here was scared of the demons: if anything, Sleipnir cheerfully greeted Atrus and then came over to leer at Hevatica while Luna quietly discussed what she had brought with Pinkamena, and why they were here. Then Sleipnir surprised them by looking up as he played a hoof through Hevatica's mane and made the Kelpie blush, while his other hoof rested on Antares' head as the foal sat happily by his uncle, saying in an easy, positive voice: "Oh, worry not! I have already begun the warding process on the upstairs rooms... perhaps this sweet siren can come with me and double-check the wards, however..." He grinned widely at her, and Pinkamena looked at Sleipnir for a moment before she said distastefully, apparently not caring about the other ponies or foal in the room: "Just remember the rules. No banging anyone in our room or our bed without my say-so." Sleipnir cleared his throat awkwardly as Antares looked up curiously and Luna glared horribly at Pinkamena, and then the foal turned his eyes towards Pinkamena and asked finally: "What's 'banging?'" "When you knock two things together real hard and loud." Pinkamena replied immediately, glaring at Sleipnir, and the vine-maned stallion giggled stupidly as he reached up and covered his lips with one hoof. "Sometimes you get a good sound out of it. Other times, well-" "Enough, enough! Antares, uh... Pinkie Pie looks as if she could use a break, go and play with her." Luna instructed quickly. At this, Pinkie looked up from the papers and rubbed at her eyes as if tired, but then she brightened when Pinkamena grunted and jerked her head towards the foal, smiling happily and bouncing out of her seat. Sleipnir and Hevatica slipped quickly off as Pinkie Pie and Antares busied themselves playing, and Rarity and Spike were glad to stay and work a little more on helping with the paperwork while Atrus loitered nearby as Pinkamena, Scrivener, and Luna made their way into the kitchen for some privacy. As Luna began to unpack the satchel, Scrivener couldn't help but look over the half-demon, then ask finally: "So Sleipnir's uh... promiscuity... really doesn't bother you?" "I guess I'm taking a page from your guys' book. Besides... he's honest, never lies to me, always asks like a good little stud, and..." Pinkamena smiled a little, reaching up and silently rubbing at her tattooed breast as she softened and glanced embarrassedly away. "He always comes back to me at the end of the day. And that makes me feel even more special: it doesn't matter what else is going on, or that he's a giant stallion-whore. He's also always there for me. And I'm also on the road to becoming a full demon now so..." She shook her head, then scowled at them and grumbled: "None of your goddamn business anyway, Nightmare Moon. Now how does this work, do I just drink all these?" "Drink one a day, try and keep your time consistent. You're going to be in a lot of pain after the first few days and you'll probably need to stay in bed. You may get... mood swings, and urges, and... well..." Scrivener smiled a bit, studying her quietly. "You'll start to change. Are you ready for that?" "Yeah." Pinkamena said in a softer voice, looking down silently before she sighed and asked after a moment: "Do I need to be in restraints?" "No. At least... not at first. But everything's going to intensify as the process goes on, until you're a full demon. It's going to hurt." Scrivener replied quietly, as Luna finished laying out of the eleven jars before the earth pony added softly: "You're primal hunger and a lot of fury and anger wrapped up in one package, Pinkamena. It's going to be hard to handle those feelings." "I'm ready for it all the same." the half-demon replied calmly, and she shook herself briskly out before saying coldly: "And you two ain't gonna scare me out of this last second, either. So don't insult me by trying to." Scrivener smiled after a moment at her, and Pinkamena only gave him a grumpy look in return before saying grouchily: "Keep leering at me and I'll make you into a gelding." "Oh, thou would not." Luna grumbled, and Pinkamena glared at them at this challenge, making Scrivener wince and draw nervously back before the winged unicorn shook her head and said quietly, glancing at the eleven jars: "Store these in a safe place. And heat up the blood before thou drinks it." Pinkamena grumbled a bit, but then she nodded with a sigh. For a few moments, there was silence... and then the half-demon finally looked up and asked quietly: "Will I be... more useful, as a demon?" "If it will soothe thee, thou shall be stronger, aye. But... thou has friendships already, and based upon need or want or not, they shall not change because of thy decisions. We are still here to support thee... always." Luna said empathetically, and the half-demon grumbled, then winced when the winged unicorn stepped forwards and hugged her firmly. "Besides, thou art married to my beloved brother. And I know his love for thee shall never falter, so neither can mine." "Get off me." Pinkamena mumbled, then she dropped her head back and sighed when instead, Scrivener stepped forwards and hugged her as well, the half-demon trying to repress a faint smile as she looked up at the ceiling and said tiredly: "You both suck. Can we please just move on to warding the goddamn house or whatever?" It took a few hours to attend to insulating and warding Sugar Cube Corners, but it was secured from top-to-bottom to ensure that no demon could enter the home without permission, and precious little magic would be able to pierce the walls and spy on what was going on inside. It wasn't a particularly-difficult task, all-in-all: the biggest difficulty was finding out-of-the-way places to scratch runes into the walls or floor or lay enchantments where they wouldn't be noticed. Since they had helped with forging the enchantments, Hevatica and Atrus would be able to enter and leave as they pleased, just as Pinkamena would even as a full demon, since it was her home. The Kelpie had giggled about this for a little while until Pinkamena had yanked her aside and threatened to cut her into a fish fillet if she started showing up on a regular basis just to flirt with Sleipnir, and the glare in the half-demon's eye had been enough to make Hevatica agree awkwardly that she would only show up if properly invited. Luna, meanwhile, had been very amused by the display of protectiveness and jealousy: but then again, every time Pinkamena showed she had a heart and emotions, it always made her feel a little fuzzy inside, for whatever odd reason. When they were done with the process of securing the household, the demons both left: Atrus with a polite bow of his head, Hevatica with loud goodbyes, a smile for Antares, and a leer at Sleipnir, who grinned and waved at her until Pinkamena elbowed him in the throat. As Scrivener had watched the enormous, vine-maned stallion flopping around weakly, he couldn't help but reflect how he now felt very fortunate about his relationship with Luna, as he realized he could be enduring far-worse pummeling from far-meaner ponies. Scrivener, Luna, and Antares left after only a short visit once the warding was done, Luna feeling an odd twinge of her instincts telling her to move on with the day. The Pink Twins were both thankful in their own way, however, and Sleipnir decided to tag along with them after he managed to crawl back to his hooves. The four headed back to the library, Sleipnir hopping along and imitating Pinkie Pie's bouncing gait with Antares on his back, and Luna and Scrivener couldn't help but smile as their child laughed: with how he behaved, the enormous stallion fit in far too well with the Pink Twins and their eccentricities. He was masochistic enough to take pleasure in Pinkamena's games and silly enough to keep up with Pinkie Pie even at her most manic. When they made it back to the library, they found Odin had arrived, sitting calmly at the table with Kvasir at one side of him, the polymorphed god looking moody. Celestia and Twilight were both at the table as well, but Discord was grumbling and pacing apprehensively around the room; his anxiety only worsened when Scrivener, Luna and Sleipnir entered the room, Antares still seated happily on his uncle's back before the enormous stallion bucked easily forwards and tossed him over his head. The foal laughed as Sleipnir caught him and set him quickly down on his hooves, grinning warmly down at the colt... and then he wheezed when Luna punched him in the side, wincing and stumbling as the sapphire mare said flatly: "How many times must I tell thou not to toss my child?" "Oh come now, sister, he is growing up and would have landed upon his hooves anyway! Do not be such a wicked creature." Sleipnir scoffed, shaking his head quickly before he smiled warmly. "Hello, Father! I am glad to see thee!" "Father? Doesn't that count as bestiality?" Discord asked moodily, and when Odin gave him a sour look, the Draconequus grumbled and held up his hands. "Well, excuse me all to hell. But I suppose looking like that, you have to take what you can get..." "The only reason I haven't had you either gagged or beheaded yet is because I understand all too well what it's like when you find out most of your powers are gone." Odin paused, leaning back moodily. "Although I suppose in your case it's worse than just being sapped of your powers. A strong punch to your stomach could upset that bracelet, couldn't it?" Discord grumbled, crossing his arms as he glowered over at the once-god, saying pointedly: "I could get this out any time I wanted to. I just don't want to, that's all." Kvasir, however, snorted in amusement, replying dryly: "How? The bracelet is interrupting the natural flow of chaotic energy in your body, and reacts the moment it begins to spike. The only way it's going to come out is to cut you open... but you seem to get a little ill every time we suggest that." "Well, we don't all like to think about being disemboweled. For some of us that's a rather disgusting thought." Discord muttered, looking away sourly as he rubbed nervously at his stomach. "Not all of us are reverse-vampires, after all, trying to share our blood with each and every little thing we meet." The polymorphed god glowered as Odin sighed a little, and Luna looked up with a thoughtful frown on her face towards Celestia and Twilight, saying finally: "I do not know whose side I am on in this debate. There are merits to both. 'Tis annoying." Odin shook his head slowly, and Celestia gave a small smile before she said quietly: "Then maybe instead we should step away from continuing to pointlessly argue... I think we'd all be interested in hearing how things have gone with Pinkamena, after all." "Making the half-demon into a full-demon..." Odin rubbed at his beak, but then he sighed a bit, glancing towards Kvasir as the beetroot unicorn looked embarrassedly away. "Well, we'll have to judge this decision by its outcome. I only wish, Brynhild, that you would remember that everything has rules for a reason." "Aye, and all rules can and should be broken, too." Luna replied impetuously, and Odin closed his eyes slowly as Sleipnir nodded agreeably, Antares cocking his head curiously as he looked up at his mother. Luna smiled as she turned her eyes to the colt, explaining softly: "In life, we must all at some point... decide for ourselves who we are, what we are going to do with what we are given... not simply bow to the rules and standards and beliefs of others. One must live one's life following one's own path... while of course always striving to help others find their own way forwards. And if thou art very lucky... thou shall find that thy path may converge with another's along the way." Luna gazed softly over at Scrivener, who smiled back before the winged unicorn returned her eyes to her son, saying gently: "Do not think I am saying life must be lived selfishly: the greatest life of all is a life lived for others, and for love. What I am saying is that along the way, there will be many times when thou shalt be all-but-ordered to do as all others do, and I want thou to know, my sweet Antares Mīrus... thou does not have to do anything other than what thou thinks and knows in thy heart to be right." "Heavy lessons for one so young." Odin said softly, but he was smiling a little before he added with quiet amusement: "Your philosophies always made you difficult, Night Maiden. Honorable, yes: but difficult, all the same." The sapphire mare only smiled a little as Antares looked back and forth, then gazed up at Discord when the Draconequus looked grumpily down at the foal and asked dryly: "So does it do any tricks?" "I'm Antares. Is your name Discord?" The foal looked up curiously, and the Draconequus winced back a bit, looking oddly unnerved before Antares smiled a little. "You don't have to be scared. I know everyone's nervous right now but... no one wants to hurt anyone, either." Discord looked unconvinced, studying the foal curiously before he snorted moodily, shaking his head out and dropping back against a library shelf as he sighed tiredly, muttering: "Not that I can do anything now, anyway. I suppose I could throw these books at you annoying ponies or hurt you with words, but... I like action. Not words. Can we just get the torture over and done with?" "Oh shush, creature." Sleipnir said gently, smiling over at the Draconequus before he approached the table, asking: "Father, Kvasir, Celestia... do not all of thee agree, there is no reason to harm this odd being? For he meant well in his own way, did he not? Now the wretch is powerless, and there is no need to torment him further: let us show him mercy, so that he may know and begin to understand that we can be allies, we can perhaps help him... for he has already witnessed in our strength that we shall stand boldly up to Clockwork World and its wretched inhabitants." "Yes, and you'll all die horribly." Discord muttered, shaking his head and rubbing at his jaw, looking distastefully over them all. "I don't know whether to call you stupid or arrogant. Or maybe I'll just save time and call you both. Which one of you can I slap without having to worry about being hit back?" But the fear in his eyes and his body language was clear, and Twilight only shook her head slowly before she said quietly: "Maybe, maybe not. But either way, we are going to take a stand. We're not going to let them just roll over this world and destroy it." "Count me out." Discord rose his hands with a snort, shaking his head and shivering once. "Look, ponies. If you're smart, you'll all just run away, as fast as your little hooves can carry you. You'll run as far and as fast as you can, to get out of this world, to get out of this damned universe... and even then, that might only buy you some time, but a little more time alive is still a little more time to live, isn't it? Or at least close enough. "Let's look at it this way, in simple terms." Discord began to raise a talon, then paled and grabbed at his stomach with a wheeze. "Oh, that was close. I... oh, this is so much less fun. Here. Like this." Discord turned around with a grumble, yanking a book out of the shelf and dropping it on the floor, and all present winced at the bang it made, the Draconequus pointing at this. "That's you. Now, I beat all of you. I even would have beaten the little puppy you call Discombobulation had I not been so confident and ruined my own chances." With that, Discord yanked another book out of the shelves and dropped it on top, then he pulled out a third and dropped this on top of that. "See that? That's the Skin Walkers, above me. Annoyingly-impervious to most of what I could do. That lack of panic, that lack of reaction to the most spectacular shows of chaos I could put on... I can't begin to describe how disheartening it was when I tried to stop them from dragging me off to that damned lonely cell. "And here's the problem." Discord removed a last book from the shelves, dropping it on top of the stack, saying distastefully: "Clockwork World, as you call it. The metal and lightning, backing themselves up with false chaos... artificial-made entities with no purpose except to destroy. Chaos-enders, I should call them, really... nothing's more still and silent than ultimate order, after all. And you ponies think you've got something good going on here..." Discord looked moodily over at Celestia, shaking his head slowly before he threw a bad-tempered kick into the pile of tomes, knocking them scattering and making Twilight wince before she hurried forwards to quickly reorganize the books and put them back into the shelf. The Draconequus glowered at her, then he simply rolled his eyes before saying moodily: "You won't be able to win against them, ponies. Not if you're four or five rungs down the ladder from them. Not if the Skin Walkers were blown to paste by them and they were, let me tell you, they were: it was no contest." "The Strange Ones are guardians, not destroyers... and your ambush in the center of town was backed by chaos energy flooding the area. Enough to attract curious eyes from Asgard, as a matter of fact." Odin said calmly, looking mildly over at Discord. "Do you really think that these ponies would have failed to have found some way to beat you?" "Even without the Elements of Harmony, they would have found a way to combat you and the chaos you were spreading, Discord." Celestia said softly, gazing over at Twilight and making her smile faintly as she blushed a little. "Because they are the embodiment of the elements themselves, and purer than that; they are friendship, and the best friendships, as I've learned, are never without a little conflict and a little chaos." Luna laughed quietly as Celestia's eyes turned towards her, and Discord only blew a raspberry in response, looking irritable as he turned his head moodily away. "Wonderful. I'm going to die next to a bunch of lunatics who really honestly believe in all this fairy tale, happy nonsense." Scrivener Blooms smiled slightly, tilting his head forwards and asking mildly: "And you don't? Then what do you believe in, Discord? And how was it that Discombobulation beat you with his self-proclaimed power of friendship?" Discord glowered at the charcoal pony for a few moments, then he finally simply snorted and turned his back on them childishly. He refused to speak for the remainder of the small meeting, as Luna and Scrivener joined the table to go over recent events in a little more detail with Odin, while Antares wandered around the library, as familiar to him as his own home. Eventually, the foal walked over to Discord and sat beside him, looking up at him. Discord pointedly ignored him, and then Antares suddenly gave a wide, bright smile, showing off all his sharp teeth, and Discord let out a yelp of shock and flailed his arms wildly before toppling over sideways, making Antares giggle before the colt said warmly: "That's how Pinkamena said I should greet new friends!" "What in Loki's name is wrong with this child?" Discord shoved himself back up to a sitting position, glowering down at the foal and studying it pointedly as Luna only laughed. "Nasty little pony. And... what is this?" Discord reached down, pulling one of Antares' wings wide, and the foal winced a little and fidgeted as the Draconequus studied this and muttered: "A subtle hint of dark magic... but what was once enchantment has long faded into natural existence. Oh, you ponies, if you do things like this..." "'Tis a nerve I would implore thee not to poke." Luna said moodily, and Discord only grunted and waved irritably at her before he dropped the wing, leaning back and forth and studying Antares as the foal shifted nervously. "Creature..." "The foal wandered over to me, not the other way around!" Discord whined, glaring over his shoulder, then he huffed and turned his eyes back forwards, poking at Antares' nose and making the colt wince a little. "Just what are you, Antares Mīrus?" "I a colt." Antares said firmly after a moment, nervousness seeping into his voice and making him stumble a little, and then he looked up and asked finally: "What are you?" Discord fell silent at this, looking down at his eagle talon... and then he sighed softly and replied in a quiet voice: "I don't know anymore." Category:Transcript Category:Story